Announcement of the Outer Critics Circle Award winners are expected early Monday morning, May 5. Nominees were announced April 21.

Leading the pack of the nominees were the musicals Nine and Hairspray, which each garnered 12 nods. Emerging as the most nominated play was the dark horse Enchanted April, which snuck onto Broadway recently without much ballyhoo and had not officially opened to critics when the nominations were announced. The only Broadway production the Nominating Committee did not get to see prior to the cutoff date was Long Day’s Journey Into Nigh. The committee, therefore, will consider the production for next season’s awards.

The Outer Critics Circle is an organization of over 75 out-of-town critics and writers, whose annual Award nominations unofficially kick off New York's theatrical awards season. The annual Outer Critics Gala Awards Party is scheduled for Thursday, May 29.

The complete list of nominees follows:

OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY Enchanted April The Play What I Wrote Take Me Out Vincent in Brixton

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY Brian Bedford, Tartuffe Jochum ten Haaf, Vincent in Brixton Eddie Izzard, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Howard W. Overshown, Yellowman Daniel Sunjata, Take Me Out

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Jayne Atkinson, Enchanted April Marylouise Burke, Kimberly Akimbo Christine Ebersole, Dinner at Eight Victoria Hamilton, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Clare Higgins, Vincent in Brixton